Morocco’s Widad Bertal (pictured) is just a stone’s throw away from making history as Africa’s first ever female boxer to win a medal in the Olympic Games boxing tournament today, August 1.
Since women’s boxing was introduced to the Olympics in 2012 in London, no female African boxer has won a medal but Bertal could inscribe her name in the history books if she defeats North Korea’s 2018 world champion Cholmi Pang in their bantamweight quarter-final clash at the North Paris Arena.
Victory for the African Games champion will see her entering the medal bracket in the semi-finals, and assured of a bronze medal.
Bertal is one of the four African boxers in the quarters, others being her compatriot, world heavyweight champion Khadija Mardi, flyweights Patrick “Baddo” Chinyemba of Zambia and Cape Verde’s David Pina. Africa is already assured of a medal here when Chinyemba and Pina clash for a place in the semis tomorrow, August 2.
A total of 28 bouts – 12 quarters and 16 round of 16 – will be contested in today’s Day 6 schedule.
DR Congo’s Mandela African Boxing Cup welterweight champion Brigitte Mbabi, making her Olympic debut, will be the first African boxer in the ring against Thailand’s world silver medallist Janjaem Suwannapheng followed by Algeria’s Imane Khelif in her second appearance in the Olympics when she takes on Italy’s 2019 world championships silver medallist Angela Carini at welterweight.
Bertal, who’s also an Olympic debutant, will be the third one in the ring in the afternoon session followed by Algeria’s two-time Africa champion Roumaysa Boualam who battles Philippine’s southpaw Aira Villegas in the flyweight category. It’s Roumaysa’s second appearance in the Olympics.
Cape Verde’s face of women boxing who’s also the Africa champion, Ivanusa Moreira – making her Olympic debut – battles a former prob boxing WBF world champion and European Games silver medallist, Belgium’s Oshin Derieuw at welterweight while Mozambican world silver medallist and double African champion Alcinda Dos Santos has a date with reigning world champion Yang Liu of China in the welterweight class. It’s the second time Alicinda is participating in the Olympics.
Africa remains with 10 boxers in the Paris Games with 13 already eliminated.
Credit: AFBC Communications
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